Nothing lasts forever
by Stoned Lorikeet
Summary: Numair is cheating on Daine and she knows it.


I wrote this ages ago and the ending was terrible so i decided i'd rewrite it.

The characters are not mine, they belong to the brilliant Tamora Pierce

The song is Nothing lasts forever by the living end

* * *

Nothing lasts forever

In Corus

A tall man emerged from the Prettybone maiden, a tavern popular with married nobles having secret "meetings" with other women. He stepped out into the street and headed towards the palace. He passed under a lantern, which illuminated his features, if anyone had looked out of their window as he passed they would recognised him as Numair Salmalín. For many months he had been coming to the tavern to meet Cordelia of Tirragen. A young naïve court girl, she wasn't intelligent. Numair simply liked her for physical needs.

**_He's waiting down at the corner under the streetlight  
he's only following orders 'til midnight  
and then he'll sneak back home to his wife,  
and his everyday life.  
He says he's been at the pub with the boys all night;  
she acts as if she don't know says it's all right.  
But he knows she don't believe him._**

When he reached his rooms Daine was sitting in a chair by the fire waiting for him. She knew what he had been doing but she had no idea what to do so she said nothing. Her hair once untidy curls now hung limp around her shoulders. Her eyes had dark bags under them from so many nights spent worrying about what to do. She looked at him and stalked off into the bedroom locking the door after her. Taking the hint he settled into a chair for the night. The chair was uncomfortable and he couldn't fall asleep. So he sat waiting for sleep to come. But it didn't the chair was too hard; he silently cursed himself for not getting a comfortable chair.

_**On and on, on and on.**_

_**Cause nothing lasts forever,  
and nothing lasts forever.  
Everything dies eventually;  
cover your eyes if you don't want to see.**_

Daine laid in bed her eyes full of tears. How many nights had she spent like this? Crying herself to sleep hoping that everything would right itself and in the morning there would be no Cordelia and a faithful Numair. She had two opyions, to stay or leave, but there were to many good things here. She couldn't leave because him. She wouldn't let him do that to her. She remembered when they met she was 13 and he in his late 20's. It was such a vast age gap such a marriage would be doomed from the start wouldn't it? Everyone in the court knew, she often heard the gossips chattering silently about Numair and his mistress. But Daine wouldn't talk about it to anyone she was too ashamed. She rolled over and after what seemed like an age she drifted off to sleep and dreamt she was part of the wolf pack again standing at the rise of a valley surveying land. It seemed to spread on and on forever.

_**This isn't how she thought that her life should be.  
When they first met back in '63,  
and a future together was all she could see.  
He said if you stick with me,  
then you know we'll be alright.  
A family for the rest of our lives,  
and ill always be by your side.  
And that's when she cried.**_

Numair had given up on the chair and walked out into the palace grounds. He found a small ornamental garden that lovers frequently used but at this hour he was the only one in it. He thought of Daine he was hurting her but he couldn't stop. They had been married for nearly 3 years but something was wrecking it. "I am wrecking it" he corrected himself. He loved Daine still but he couldn't help himself, he was never good at maintaining one relationship for long. He was lucky this one had gone so well. He ruined it one midwinter when he had escorted Cordelia of Tirragen to her rooms and had stayed the night. Since then they had frequently slept together and the downfall of his marriage had begun. He buried his face in his hands. He had never deserved her anyyway, the daughter of a god deserved better that him.

_**On and on, on and on.  
Cause nothing lasts forever,  
and nothing lasts forever.  
Everything dies eventually;  
cover your eyes if you don't want to see.**_

Daine was sick of everything. She was constantly arguing with Numair. He insisted he had stopped seeing Cordelia but she knew he was lying. She admitted defeat. She was too tired of struggling to keep a man who show his love for her anymore. Life had become too painful to bear. She wrote a note to Numair and left it on his desk it read simply:  
_You have failed; you can find me at Balors Needle if you truly want me. If you are quick enough that is. D_

And she walked off across the palace grounds towards balors needle. She climbed up the spiral staircase and found King Jonathan there looking out across the grounds deep in thought. She silently approached the railing and stood beside him. He looked at her and said nothing. He hadn't seen her up close in months she looked tired and defeated. He knew what Numair had been doing to her. "Gods the whole court knows" he thought to himself. " Daine you can talk to me if you want" he told her silently. She looked at him a weak smile on her face and said "Its alright, I'm just so tired and this whole thing will be over soon" she simled again and walked away from him. "goodbye" she said to him. Before he could do anything Daine climbed over the railing, and before he could move she jumped. The king leaned over and watched Daine Salmalín fall to the ground with a dull thud.He raced down the stairs and ran to the small heap that was Daine. He dropped onto the ground beside her but there was nothing he could do. She was dead. He sat there beside her for quite a while.

A tall figure stood on the hill and watched the scene below him. A small crowd was now gathered around his wife , but his legs refused to move. his eyes filled with tears that refused to fall. Jonathan looked up to see him turn around and walk away.

_**So he takes off his tie and he tells another lie,  
she only believed it for a minute.  
And she doesn't ask why,  
she doesn't want to pry.  
She only believes it for a minute.  
He's walking out the door and into a new life;  
he's already got plans with his new wife,  
and a house in a new neighbourhood.  
He says he's been at the pub with the boys all night,  
she acts as if she don't know,  
says its alright.  
But he knows she don't believe him,  
but she's sick of arguing.**_

_**On and on, on and on.**_

_**  
Cause nothing lasts forever  
and nothing lasts forever  
everything dies eventually  
cover your eyes if you don't want to see  
she's been waking around,  
with her heart dragging on the ground.  
She don't need to frown.**_

At Daines funeral Numair stood at the back where no one would see him, and listened to her closest friends talk about her. A cloaked figure came and stood beside him. It watched the proceedings for a few moments before it asked "why didn't you go to her?" Numair looked at the cloaked stranger and felt his anger rise, "i didn't think she would do it" he said as calmly as he could. When he looked back, the hood had fallen back to reveal Daine as she had been back in happier days. She gave him a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "well i was". When he looked back she was gone

**A/N: Well I'm sorry I made Numair the bastard but it was an idea I wanted to pursue. Please rate, good or bad however you like it. **

**This is what my sister had to say though:**

**I can't think of anything Ms Lindsay-ish to write so I'll say nothing except very good. **


End file.
